ML20142A279

Regulatory Audit Summary Regarding Exigent License Amendment Request to Revise the Safety Injection Accumulators Pressures

ML20142A279
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	05/27/2020
From:	Dennis Galvin NRC/NRR/DORL/LPL4
To:	Gerry Powell South Texas
Galvin D
References
EPID L-2020-LLA-0108
Download: ML20142A279 (4)

Text

May 27, 2020 Mr. G. T. Powell President and Chief Executive Officer STP Nuclear Operating Company P.O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

SUBJECT:

SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNIT 1 - REGULATORY AUDIT

SUMMARY

REGARDING EXIGENT LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO REVISE THE PRESSURE OF THE SAFETY INJECTION ACCUMULATORS (EPID-L-2020-LLA-0108)

Dear Mr. Powell:

By letter dated May 13, 2020, STP Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC, the licensee) submitted a license amendment request for South Texas Project (STP), Unit 1. The proposed amendment would modify Technical Specification (TS) 3/4.5.1, Accumulators to allow Unit 1 to operate with all three Safety Injection Accumulators at reduced minimum pressure. Specifically, a footnote would be added to TS Surveillance Requirement 4.5.1.1.a.1) to reduce the lower pressure limit for the accumulator nitrogen cover-pressure from 590 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) to 500 psig through the end of the next refueling outage.

To support its review, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff conducted a regulatory audit via the use of an online reference portal set up by the licensee, and a teleconference. The NRC staff reviewed documents and held discussions with STPNOC staff concerning the license amendment request. The audit summary is enclosed.

If you have any questions, please contact me at 301-415-6256 or via e-mail at Dennis.Galvin@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Dennis J. Galvin, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-498

Enclosure:

Audit Summary cc: Listserv

REGULATORY AUDIT

SUMMARY

EXIGENT LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO REVISE THE PRESSURE OF THE SAFETY INJECTION ACCUMULATORS STP NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNIT 1 DOCKET 50-498

1.0 BACKGROUND

By letter dated May 13, 2020 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Package Accession No. ML20134K758), STP Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC, the licensee) submitted a license amendment request (LAR) regarding South Texas Project (STP) Unit 1. The proposed amendment would modify Technical Specification (TS) 3/4.5.1, Accumulators to allow Unit 1 to operate with all three Safety Injection Accumulators at reduced minimum pressure. Specifically, a footnote would be added to TS Surveillance Requirement 4.5.1.1.a.1) to reduce the lower pressure limit for the accumulator nitrogen cover-pressure from 590 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) to 500 psig through the end of the next refueling outage. The licensee has requested approval of the LAR on an exigent basis by May 28, 2020.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff reviewed the licensees submittal and determined that a regulatory audit would assist in the timely completion of the licensing review process. The audit was conducted in accordance with the audit plan dated May 14, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20135H198).

2.0 AUDIT ACTIVITIES AND OBSERVATIONS The purpose of the audit was to (1) gain a more detailed understanding of the licensees analyses supporting the subject LAR, and (2) identify additional information that the licensee would need to submit to supplement its application for the NRC staff to reach a licensing or regulatory decision, and (3) establish an understanding in the area of supporting analyses to allow the NRC staff to issue clear requests for additional information (RAIs) and for the licensee to provide high quality and timely RAI responses.

The audit was conducted via the use of an online reference portal set up by the licensee and a teleconference. Via the online reference portal, the NRC staff reviewed analyses supporting the LAR, including the loss-of-coolant accident evaluations and the containment evaluation.

The NRC staff also conducted an audit teleconference with the licensee on May 14, 2020.

During the teleconference, the licensee clarified the information contained in the supporting analyses and described how the analyses supported the LAR.

3.0 RESULTS OF THE AUDIT The audit facilitated the NRC staffs timely review of the exigent LAR. The NRC staff did not request the licensee to submit any additional information on the docket as a result of the audit.

Enclosure

4.0 AUDIT PARTICIPANTS NRC Participants Dennis Galvin, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Diana Woodyatt, NRR Scott Krepel, NRR Jennifer Dixon-Herrity, NRR Jeffrey Josey, Region IV Alfred Sanchez, Region IV Chad Stott, Region IV Matthew Hamm, NRR John Parillo, NRR STPNOC Participants Drew Richards Lance Sterling Fatma Yilmaz Chris Georgeson Jason Tomlinson Matt King Westinghouse Participant Ann Marie DiLullo

ML20142A279 *by email OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL4/PM* NRR/DORL/LPL4/LA* NSIR/DSS/SNSB/BC*

NAME DGalvin PBlechman SKrepel DATE 5/21/2020 5/21/2020 5/21/2020 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL4/BC* NRR/DORL/LPL4/PM*

NAME JDixon-Herrity (TWengert for) DGalvin DATE 5/27/2020 5/27/2020